This moment appears more dramatic than it actually was. If you look closely, you’ll spy the photographer’s head. This is no runaway groom. He was simply positioning himself for the next photo on a stone stairway beside the Seine River in Paris, France. From where I stood, Notre Dame Cathedral rose behind me and the Seine River flowed ahead and below, giving me a great vantage point from which to photograph the photo session.

A slow stroll through a warm September night took us across one of Paris’ many bridges. The glimmering Seine River was overshadowed only by the majestic radiance of the Eiffel Tower lit up for evening display. The stone bridge served as a steadying support for my camera lens, allowing for this magical low light shot.

Entering Gibraltar on foot saved us some time at the border crossing, but we still had to pause and look both ways. The main road into the British Colony (Winston Churchill Avenue) crosses the Gibraltar Airport runway. This unusual situation makes for an interesting traffic flow, unique signage and some mental adjustments to the conventional notions regarding airport safety.

We heard the revving of a jet engine during our hike down from The Rock and spotted the paused parade of traffic from atop a Moorish tower. Moments later an EasyJet rumbled its way down the runway and across WC Avenue before lifting off over the Strait of Gibraltar and Mediterranean Sea. Once it was airborne, motor and pedestrian traffic resumed.

Just another day on Gibraltar.

That evening when we walked back toward the border crossing into Spain, I stopped. I looked. I listened. Even with a green light to indicate safe passage, my instinct for self preservation demanded that I do a double check.